Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield died of fentanyl, alcohol toxicity

May 15—Former Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield died last month due to the toxic effects of fentanyl and ethanol, according to an autopsy report released by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner Thursday morning.
The report concludes Merrifield died by "accident" due to the combined effects of the substances.
According to the autopsy, Merrifield had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.071 and 23 nanograms per millimeter of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid known for being 50 to 100 times as powerful as morphine.
The drug has become widely known to New Mexicans and Americans in recent years for its high risk of addiction and overdose.
Merrifield's body was found in his patrol vehicle outside his home overlooking Abiquiu Reservoir on Easter Sunday, April 20. New Mexico State Police handled the preliminary investigation and said the former Rio Arriba top cop had died "unexpectedly." Merrifield was 50.
According to a January report from the New Mexico Department of Health, fentanyl was involved in 65% of overdose deaths in the state in 2023. However, overall overdose deaths have declined 8% statewide since 2021, when they reached a peak of 1,029.
This is a developing story.

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Miami Herald

2 hours ago

• Miami Herald

FWC Chair evades responsibility after criticism of deadly boat crash investigation

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Had this not been a wealthy man with political connections, blood would have been drawn and body cam footage would not have been deleted. Statistically, it is impossible for four presumably well-trained FWC police officers to make the same mistake. Each one should lose their law enforcement certification and be fired, if what Barreto says is true. Barreto only writes to deflect criticism and make himself look better. I hope these families will get the justice they deserve. As a father of four, I am devastated for these families, even Pino, who will carry this with him to his grave. No matter what he says or how many times he shakes his fist in court as a show of defiance, his exceptionally poor decision-making destroyed lives and he should feel it forever. Barreto's op-ed shows that he is merely trying to put some type of shine on his stewardship of FWC. He will continue to obfuscate, hide the ball and otherwise avoid responsibility for his department's — and his own — failings. Michael Galex, Coral Gables Ego decision President Donald Trump said he would take two weeks to determine whether to involve our country in the Iran-Israel conflict. The decision would be based on whether the U.S. would use its heavy weaponry against Iran's deep bunker complex. One might think Trump's decision-making would include an in-depth analysis with persons familiar with the intricacies of Middle East dynamics, but that is not how he works. His process is a self-determination of how the decision will affect him personally, politically and financially and how it will affect his family's business dealings. He has no regard for the welfare of the people of that region nor for our troops stationed in the region. John Falcone, Palmetto Bay No Hope Over the years, many of us have donated time and money to nonprofit organizations like the United Way and Dream Come True. We've done so with pleasure, as Americans are very generous. 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James Oberstein, Kendall Business challenge Small businesses are essential to communities throughout the nation, yet many fail without financial support. Major corporations often receive bailouts when facing financial difficulties. Small businesses, however, continue to struggle with rising costs, disrupted supply chains, surging inflation and rising tariffs. Owners often face credit issues, evictions and rejections from banks, which consider them high risk. The harshest consequence is a 'Closed' sign on the door. As a small business owner and retired U.S. Army veteran, I am angry. Small businesses are the foundation of the economy. Don't weaken us. Ansilla James, Coral Springs Same outcome Will anybody tell the president that a 35% taxation on money sent from immigrants to their countries of origin will add more poverty there, hence more immigration here? Valeria Mastelli, Key Biscayne

Newsweek

3 hours ago

• Newsweek

Map Shows Worst States for SNAP Fraud

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit theft has become a pervasive issue in several states, with some of the most vulnerable families being left without vital food benefits. Why It Matters Some 40 million Americans receive SNAP benefits, which are loaded onto electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards that can be used at approved retailers and select online stores. But they are vulnerable to fraud tactics as cards can be skimmed or cloned, something several states are trying to combat. However, the problem is getting worse: Fraudulent SNAP transactions increased by 55 percent between the final quarter of fiscal year 2024 and the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. What To Know New York is by far the state with the most reported SNAP benefit thefts, with 151,000 claims made between 2023 and March 2025, totaling more than $80 million lost by SNAP users. Second to the Empire State is California, with almost 86,000 claims and $38 million down the drain. In third place is Maryland, with 63,800 fraud instances and $24 million lost to criminal schemes. On the other end of the spectrum, Wyoming has the least number of claims made to the USDA in the same time period, with only nine instances of reported stolen benefits. South Dakota and North Dakota have similarly low numbers—23 and 27, respectively. Meanwhile, Idaho, Vermont and Montana all have fewer than 100 reported thefts. In New York, law enforcement recently uncovered a $66 million criminal scheme involving a USDA employee. In Ohio, three Columbus residents were recently charged in connection with a $600,000 SNAP theft. Tackling the Issue Lawmakers in several states are taking steps to combat SNAP fraud. In New York, the state Senate has passed a bill requiring EBT cards to be equipped with EMV chips—technology commonly used in credit and debit cards to make them harder to clone or steal. The USDA has also vowed to crack down on SNAP benefit theft, announcing in April that it had taken part in "targeted benefit fraud" operations in California. In 2024, the USDA ended its policy of reimbursing stolen SNAP benefits. Congress did not approve funding to continue the reimbursements in the budget resolution passed in December. As a result, the USDA announced that states may choose to replace stolen benefits using their own funds in the absence of federal funds. Some lawmakers are working to fill this gap. In April, Democratic Representative Al Green of Texas introduced the SNAP Secure Act of 2025, which proposes restoring federal funding to reimburse SNAP benefit recipients who are victims of fraud or theft. A similar bill has been introduced by Republican Representative Zach Nunn of Iowa. What People Are Saying A Department of Agriculture spokesperson previously told Newsweek: "SNAP is a vital nutrition safety net for low-income Americans. When benefits are stolen, SNAP participants' ability to feed their families is threatened. USDA will continue to leverage every resource and authority that remains at its disposal to combat all forms of SNAP fraud and abuse." Representative Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, said in a statement in April: "I intend to turn this legislation into a modified amendment to the next appropriations bill. If accepted, this legislation would ensure that those who have had their SNAP benefits stolen will be able to feed themselves and their families." What Happens Next To protect your SNAP benefits, the USDA recommends these tips:

American Press

4 hours ago

• American Press

ICE detains Marine Corps veteran's wife who was still breastfeeding their baby

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. (Associated Press Archives) Marine Corps veteran Adrian Clouatre doesn't know how to tell his children where their mother went after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers detained her last month. When his nearly 2-year-old son Noah asks for his mother before bed, Clouatre just tells him, 'Mama will be back soon.' When his 3-month-old, breastfeeding daughter Lyn is hungry, he gives her a bottle of baby formula instead. He's worried how his newborn will bond with her mother absent skin-to-skin contact. His wife, Paola, is one of tens of thousands of people in custody and facing deportation as the Trump administration pushes for immigration officers to arrest 3,000 people a day. Even as Marine Corps recruiters promote enlistment as protection for families lacking legal status, directives for strict immigrant enforcement have cast away practices of deference previously afforded to military families, immigration law experts say. The federal agency tasked with helping military family members gain legal status now refers them for deportation, government memos show. To visit his wife, Adrian Clouatre has to make an eight-hour round trip from their home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to a rural ICE detention center in Monroe. Clouatre, who qualifies as a service-disabled veteran, goes every chance he can get. Paola Clouatre, a 25-year-old Mexican national whose mother brought her into the country seeking asylum more than a decade ago, met Adrian Clouatre, 26, at a southern California nightclub during the final months of his five years of military service in 2022. Within a year, they had tattooed each other's names on their arms. After they married in 2024, Paola Clouatre sought a green card to legally live and work in the U.S. Adrian Clouatre said he is 'not a very political person' but believes his wife deserved to live legally in the U.S. 'I'm all for 'get the criminals out of the country,' right?' he said. 'But the people that are here working hard, especially the ones married to Americans — I mean, that's always been a way to secure a green card.' Detained at a green card meeting The process to apply for Paola Clouatre's green card went smoothly at first, but eventually she learned ICE had issued an order for her deportation in 2018 after her mother failed to appear at an immigration hearing. Clouatre and her mother had been estranged for years — Clouatre cycled out of homeless shelters as a teenager — and up until a couple of months ago, Clouatre had 'no idea' about her mother's missed hearing or the deportation order, her husband said. Adrian Clouatre recalled that a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services staffer asked about the deportation order during a May 27 appointment as part of her green card application. After Paola Clouatre explained that she was trying to reopen her case, the staffer asked her and her husband to wait in the lobby for paperwork regarding a follow-up appointment, which her husband said he believed was a 'ploy.' Soon, officers arrived and handcuffed Paola Clouatre, who handed her wedding ring to her husband for safekeeping. Adrian Clouatre, eyes welling with tears, said he and his wife had tried to 'do the right thing' and that he felt ICE officers should have more discretion over arrests, though he understood they were trying to do their jobs. 'It's just a hell of a way to treat a veteran,' said Carey Holliday, a former immigration judge who is now representing the couple. 'You take their wives and send them back to Mexico?' The Clouatres filed a motion for a California-based immigration judge to reopen the case on Paola's deportation order and are waiting to hear back, Holliday said. Less discretion for military families Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed statement that Paola Clouatre 'is in the country illegally' and that the administration is 'not going to ignore the rule of law.' 'Ignoring an Immigration Judge's order to leave the U.S. is a bad idea,' U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a June 9 post on X which appeared to refer to Clouatre's case. The agency added that the government 'has a long memory and no tolerance for defiance when it comes to making America safe again.' Adrian Clouatre said the agency's X post does not accurately reflect his wife's situation because she entered the country as a minor with her mother, seeking asylum. 'She was not aware of the removal order, so she was not knowingly defying it,' he said. 'If she had been arrested, she would have been deported long ago, and we would never have met.' Prior to the Trump administration's push to drive up deportations, USCIS provided much more discretion for veterans seeking legal status for a family member, said Holliday and Margaret Stock, a military immigration law expert. In a Feb. 28 memo, the agency said it 'will no longer exempt' from deportation people in groups that had received more grace in the past. This includes the families of military personnel or veterans, Stock said. As of June 12, the agency said it has referred upward of 26,000 cases to ICE for deportation. USCIS still offers a program allowing family members of military personnel who illegally entered the U.S. to remain in the country as they apply for a green card. But there no longer appears to be room for leeway, such as giving a veteran's spouse like Paola Clouatre the opportunity to halt her active deportation order without facing arrest, Stock said. But numerous Marine Corps recruiters have continued to post ads on social media, geared toward Latinos, promoting enlistment as a way to gain 'protection from deportation' for family members. 'I think it's bad for them to be advertising that people are going to get immigration benefits when it appears that the administration is no longer offering these immigration benefits,' Stock said. 'It sends the wrong message to the recruits.' Marine Corps spokesperson Master Sgt. Tyler Hlavac told The Associated Press that recruiters have now been informed they are 'not the proper authority' to 'imply that the Marine Corps can secure immigration relief for applicants or their families.'